1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outbound audio message formation, and more specifically to the personalization of an outbound audio message.
2. Description of Background Art
Information is an important part of everyday life. Disseminating information can be costly and time consuming. Situations exist where information needs to be sent to large numbers of individuals in the most efficient and effective way possible. Such information may take the form of warnings, directions, sales pitches, political persuasion or endorsements, messages to designated groups, medical information or reminders to the elderly, and a variety of types of notices, to name but a few.
Although printed distribution of information is relatively inexpensive, audio delivery is quicker and more effective. Printed items take longer to deliver and may be easily ignored, lost, or discarded. The need has been met in the past by pre-recorded audio messages that were delivered to large numbers of people via telephone. With the advent of powerful and cheap computers, telephone message delivery has become powerful, efficient, and cost effective.
Telephone message delivery has generally been done by recording a message having a generic greeting embedded therein. A computer or calling machine dials telephone numbers from a list of persons to be contacted. At the appropriate time, the pre-recorded message is played over the telephone when the connection is completed.
A pre-recorded generic message has several drawbacks. First, a generic message appears to be very impersonal to a recipient, and may be disregarded. Second, it is common knowledge that the use of a recipient's name will catch the attention of that person. Third, a generic message is less flexible, and the entire message must be discarded if any change must be made to the message.
What is needed therefore is an outbound automated message formation capability wherein the message can be personalized to fit the recipient.